Road Trip: Appalachian State – From the Bird’s Nest

Last road trip of the season.

My broadcast partner, Richie Falgout, was not going to be on the flight.  His sister lives in Knoxville and they had a family Thanksgiving there.  He would meet me in Boone on game day.  So, I loaded all the equipment (there's a lot, and Richie usually does the heavy lifting) and went to the airport Friday morning.  And, as is the case with Sun Country airlines, we got on the plane and left on time.

Without Travis Webb.

Our sideline reporter misread the email that was sent out.  It said a 1 pm departure.  He thought it said to be at the airport at 1 pm.  By the time he got there we were on our way to Boone.  And, yes, he had the wireless microphone with him.  Great start to the trip.  Hey, stuff happens.  We would survive.

Originally the flight was supposed to be to Hickory, NC about 45 minutes from Boone.  However, this time of year, Hickory isn't an option.  Sometimes its really cold in them there parts.  And, they don't have de-icing equipment.  So instead we flew into the Tri-Cities airport (Johnson City/Kingsport/Bristol, TN).

The team and travel party headed for Banner Elk, where the team would be headquartered.  Boone does not have a full-service hotel (meeting rooms, full catering, etc.) so football teams don't stay there.  SID Matt Sullivan, assistant SID Jeff Schneider, the Advertiser's Tim Buckley and I would ride in a large van.  Jeff is a big dude and he hauled the equipment and loaded it into the van.  Jeff used to work at East Tennessee State in Johnson City, so we headed there.  Jeff gave us a mini-tour and a little history lesson (we're still trying to figure out where the Buccaneers mascot came from.  Not a lot of pirates in Johnson City.)

On the plane we talked about dinner.  I noticed a German restaurant in Johnson City and mentioned it to Jeff.  He had eaten there and said it was good.  Of course, the dude's name is Schneider.  Matt agreed, and surprisingly, so did Tim, who is a pretty picky eater.

So Freiberg's was the choice.

And, it was a good choice.

I had the sauerbraten (pot roast) with sauerkraut and something with a long name that was potatoes smothered in onions and bacon.  I also got a bratwurst (not pictured) on the side.  and a couple of beers I couldn't pronounce.  Large beers.  32 oz beers.  Hey, I wasn't driving.  Matt, who was, had a sweet tea.

But while we were at dinner, we got a text from Director of Football Operations Troy Wingerter.  It seems there was a problem in Banner Elk.  It was a plumbing problem and everyone in the travel party that wasn't affiliated directly with the team would have to be relocated.

Welcome to the Sleep Inn, Boone, NC.

Actually the place was fine.  Not the Marriott or Hilton or Hyatt we are accustomed to but the rooms were clean and comfortable.  Besides, it was a day game and we wouldn't be there all day Saturday.  There, however, wasn't any HDTV.  Boy we're spoiled, I tell you.

The drive was along a two lane, winding road that went up into the Blue Ridge Mountains toward Boone (elevation 3,333 ft.).  From a mileage standpoint, not a bad drive, but you weren't ever going to get close to 70 mph on that road.  Ninety minutes later we arrived at the hotel and checked in.

The rest of the travel party, we found out, was at dinner.  We planned to go out for a while but wanted to see if anyone else would be coming with us.  As it turned out, there was one trooper, who despite having plenty of opportunity for cocktails at the restaurant, decided to head out with us.

Gerald Gerami, whose son Cooper played for the Cajuns (his blocked extra point got the Cajuns a win against ULM in Rickey Bustle's last game as head coach) made the jaunt downtown with us.

We wound up at Cafe Portofino, a place where Jeff and I ate during baseball season.  But at night, the tables are picked up and no one thinks about food.  We each ordered Yuengling on tap (imagine that.).  16 oz glasses.  $2.50.  And it wasn't happy hour.  We then saw a sign that said $8.50 a pitcher.

I love Boone, NC. Especially when Gerami is buying.

It was a younger crowd, but a friendly one.  They noticed our Ragin' Cajuns gear and made conversation.  They were very welcoming.  When you go on the road, you can just tell sometimes how it's going to be.  I knew by time we left that gameday would be a good experience.

We were out until about one and decided we'd meet for breakfast at 9am.  Photographer Brad Kemp joined Matt, Jeff, Tim and I went to the Sunrise Grill where I had eaten during basketball season.  We had to wait a few minutes for a table but it was worth it.  If you ever go, try their High Country Hash, made with potatoes, onions, jalapenos and beef brisket (barbecue sauce on the side) with your eggs.

Then it was back to the hotel.  Richie showed up about a half hour before we were scheduled to leave for the stadium and we got a chance to catch up before heading out.  Campus wasn't far away and we drove over and got to our parking space.

And looked down at the stadium.

We had to carry the equipment down a minimum of 150 steps.  Fortunately there were plenty of us to get the job done.  After getting our bags checked, we headed upstairs to the stadium for setup.

Everyone at the stadium was great.  From the fans, to the event staff to the student workers...we were made to feel welcome by all.  Trust me, it isn't always that way.  But the folks at App State were first class.

It was a great vantage point and a really nice day for football for this time of year.  Temps were in the upper 50's and actually reached 61 degrees.  That was a far cry from Thanksgiving weekend a year ago when the temp was in the upper 30's with wind.

After setup we noshed on chicken fajitas which were excellent.  We went back to the booth to watch the teams warm up and watch the fans arrive.  App State doesn't have a consolidated tailgate area like we do in Lafayette.  There isn't a ton of parking unless you have a pass and we watched fans walking toward the stadium from several blocks away (and people in Lafayette complain.  You don't know how lucky we have it.)  It wasn't going to be a big crowd but it would be a boisterous one.  The pre game from the band was terrific.

Appalachian State is easily the most beautiful campus in the league and, as you might expect from us folks in flat country, the topography has a lot to do with it.  Kidd-Brewer Stadium, built into the mountains on campus is picturesque.  If you never make a road trip anywhere else, plan on one in the future to Boone.

Fans were great again after the game, saying they hoped we enjoyed our visit.  Hospitable folks, those mountain people.

Fortunately we were able to get the van and bring it down near the entrance to the stadium.  I can't imagine what that trip UP those steps would have been like, especially with the radio equipment.

We headed out and were about 20 minutes behind the team, which is normal.  What wasn't normal was getting behind an 18 wheeler in the mountains.  As a result the trip was a good half hour longer than it should have been and by the time we got to the airport, everyone had been on board for a while and were just waiting for those damned media people.  And, after a loss, it's especially unnerving to walk on the plane knowing the only reason they hadn't taken off was because of you.

It didn't take long for us to get airborne.

We got equipment once the plane landed and headed home.  I walked in the door just in time to see Les Miles and Kevin Sumlin embracing.  Good.  I didn't miss a thing.